1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved copier system. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method, system, and computer useable program code for automatically adjusting one or more scanned images for printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, a copier is essentially a specialized computer. Copiers use a scanner as a front end, a disk subsystem as a temporary storage, and a printer as a back end. Copying is an example of a class of image-processing applications in which proper alignment of an image is desirable. In most cases, alignment of a standard sized page on a copier's scanner bed is easy. A user places the standard size page to abut an edge of the copier's scanner bed so as to align edges of the page with ruled indicia provided for that purpose.
However, alignment becomes more difficult when the user wants to create a composite image of a number of small papers. For example, a user may place a number of photographs on the scanning bed in order to make a single composite copy. Other common examples may include recipes, returned checks, and business cards. Also, it is not uncommon for the user to cut out pieces of text from a newspaper or other source and copy the pieces onto a single page.
In these types of situations the user typically cannot, or may not want to, abut all of the pieces or papers against the scanner bed's edge. In addition, the scanner bed indicia are not designed to align multiple smaller, irregular sized pieces of paper. As a result, the user must align the pieces by visual impression. Consequently, the results are usually not very satisfactory.
Even with painstaking positioning of these objects on the scanner bed, closing the copier's lid often disturbs positioning of the objects. One solution to this problem is to affix individual objects to a sheet of paper using tape or glue and then place the single sheet of paper on the scanner bed. However, this procedure is tedious and time consuming. Also, the tape or glue used to affix the objects to the paper may mar the original objects or mar the glass on the scanner bed causing future copies to be corrupted.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an improved computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for automatically resizing, rotating, centering, and fitting one or more scanned images for printing onto a single sheet of paper.